There’s an awkward truth to Car of the Year. We start with a list of around 50 vehicles and the process ensures that all but one get the boot. That results in a long list of very sore manufacturers, many of whom were all but certain that their latest and greatest was about to get the recognition it so richly deserved.

So, to reiterate, to be eligible for Wheels COTY, cars must have been on for sale to the public in the 12 months prior to December 31, 2019. Vehicles that sell below a monthly rate that is equivalent to 100 per year are eligible only at the editor’s discretion. Passenger 4WDs must not have a rigid front axle (which scuppers the Suzuki Jimny’s chances). And as much fun as the McLaren 600LT and the Lamborghini Huracan Evo would have been to have along, Inwood put his sensible hat on and stuck by the letter of the law, as they both represent updates rather than all-new models.

Likewise the Camaro ZL1 was judged a new variant after we had the base Camaro last year, and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan was also not sufficiently divergent from its hatchback sibling to make the cut. Perhaps the Hyundai Kona Electric could feel a little harder done by on that score.

A whole host of contenders were nixed as a result of what an AFL umpire might deem an ‘unrealistic attempt’. The Citroen C3 Aircross, the Jeep Wrangler, the Lexus UX and the Mercedes-Benz GLE weren’t deemed likely to make the latter stages of the competition and were cut from contention. Sharpening the COTY process by making this first sift allowed judges more time with the cars that really stood a viable chance.

The wording on the Value judging criterion was massaged slightly this year, stressing the car’s relative value in class rather than outright affordability, but even that probably wasn’t enough to bring Lamborghini’s Urus into contention, nor the Audi Q8 or BMW X7. The BMW 8 Series was, similarly, too niche and too evolutionary to have really stood much of chance. The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door, while impressive, was judged not to shift the meter sufficiently within its class and at its price point to mount a serious challenge.

This year’s COTY arrived marginally too early for the BMW 1 Series and the Mercedes-Benz CLA, both cars that could well have progressed. The same probably couldn’t be said of Kia’s Cerato, which was judged unlikely to replicate the impact its cousin, the Hyundai i30, had at the event in 2018.

It’s always tough scratching genuinely good cars from the Car of the Year shortlist. We ended up with 31 cars across 17 models from 13 manufacturers. It was a strong field, but in order to finish first, first you have to finish.

Or, as is the case here, even start.

The major who and why

• Lexus UX: Close, but no cigar. Actually, not that close at all. Easily worked over by the Volvo XC40.
• Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door: Lovely but undeniably niche, and the pricing is eye-watering
• Suzuki Jimny: Rigid front axle and woeful safety rating put paid to any hopes the Jimny had.
• Citroen C3 Aircross: Coming second in a comparison of two vehicles isn’t COTY form
• BMW 1 Series: Promising and fresh take on the 1 Series formula but arrived too late
• McLaren 600LT: Not an all-new model per se. Shame, because it’s just brilliant

Amongst a sea of red ink gushing from the sales offices of virtually every car importer in Australia after a torrid 2019, a few stories stand out more than others.

The slow and painful demise of Holden, for example, is well documented, while even industry stalwarts like Toyota are fearful of the prevailing winds of soft demand and a sketchy economic outlook going forward for everyday Aussies.

On the surface, Ford Australia seems to be in line with most of its competitors, currently sitting within the top five brands on sale today thanks to a solid performance in 2019 that skirted the double-digit percentage sales dips that plagued the industry last year.

Scratch the surface, though, and things aren’t quite as rosy as they first appear.

Move over Mondeo

When the Falcon production line fell silent in 2016, many analysts predicted that the medium-sized Mondeo will be thrust forward to fill the hole left by the large sedan. It hasn’t worked out like that, though.

Like the Focus, the European-designed and conceived Mondeo was relatively late to the Aussie party when it arrived in 2007, and while it’s fared better than the various attempts by across-town rivals Holden in the space – Epica and Malibu, anyone? – it’s never sold in sizable volumes.

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In the two and a bit years since the Falcon was axed, for example, Ford sold about 5600 Mondeos, compared to near-enough 130,000 Rangers. Even the Mustang has outsold it three-to-one in the same period.

Sales in 2019 fell to just 646 cars, with a mere 27 finding homes in December last year. So it’s no surprise, then, that the Mondeo will be cut to a single model – the entry-level Ambiente – in both wagon and hatch bodyshapes, before it’s deleted from the Ford Australia range later this year.

Will it be missed? Sales data suggests not, but it’s another nameplate that Ford will lose from its overall roster.

Soft Focus

While dual-cabs have displaced the humble hatchback in the sales race, the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla still managed 55,000 sales between them. The similarly sized Ford Focus managed just 3600-odd sales all year, and it was even beaten by Holden’s now-discontinued Astra (4188).

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The small hatchback market was once dominated by Ford’s Laser, but the impetus has shifted in the last decade. Why can’t the Focus match the performance of, say, the Hyundai i30? Having 28,000-odd extra cars in the market instead of 3600 would really help the cause.

Exit EcoSport

Another slow seller in the Ford line-up, the diminutive EcoSport SUV, is also scheduled for the chop, which will bring the number of active Ford nameplates (counting the soon-to-return Fiesta ST) down to eight.

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“The EcoSport will continue to be available in all three variants – entry level Ambiente, Trend and range-topping Titanium – for the next few months, after which it will no longer be part of our Australian line-up,” confirmed Matt Moran, Ford’s communication director for Australia and New Zealand.

“We are constantly looking for new opportunities for Australia from our global portfolio, and will share our plans in due course.”

The Indian-built EcoSport has been a bit of a damp squib for Ford since its introduction in 2013, and it managed to sell just 481 for the entirety of 2019, in one of the hottest segments in the market.

Mustang tamed

It’s a long-held trope in the motoring world that a new sports car sells its head off for the first 12 months of its life before falling off a sales cliff thereafter. The Ford Mustang, however, blew that notion to bits.

Almost 23,000 have been sold since its launch in 2016, with almost 10,000 selling in 2018 alone. However, the sales tally of 3948 in 2019, while decent, points to the inevitable – everyone who wanted a sports coupe has pretty much bought one.

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The Mustang will continue to sell reasonably well – it’s a pretty damn handy car – but it’s another figure on a spreadsheet that will shrink, not expand, for the brand.

Home on the Ranger

Fun fact; remove Ranger and Colorado from Australian new car sales numbers for 2019, and Ford would have trailed Holden by several thousand units.

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The Ranger currently makes up almost 60 per cent of Ford’s entire sales inventory, and while that’s a blessing in many ways, it leaves the company painfully exposed to any potential downturn in Ranger sales.

While Aussie buyers are obviously still enamoured by the dual-cab, the winds of fashion are fickle, while a downturn in the wider economy also means fewer commercial customers.

A worldwide hit for the company, Ford Australia has played a big part in the T6 Ranger’s success… but having that many eggs in one commercial vehicle-shaped basket must be a concern.

SUV struggles

Nowhere else shows where Ford is so dangerously exposed, though, more than the still red-hot SUV segment.

The large Endura and mid-sized Escape combined can’t outsell the large Ranger-based Everest month to month – and the Everest is a marginal seller at best, being outsold by the Ranger at a rate of almost seven to one.

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A strong performer to go up against the likes of the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4 would give the company a fallback position, should the bottom ever drop out of dual-cab demand.

Future Ford

The current Mustang will come to the end of its natural life in 2021, replaced by a car built on a new platform that will allow Ford to potentially build all-wheel-drive derivatives of the pony car (the Clydesdale?).

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A much-publicised outing of the Mach E electric SUV (above) points to the potential for a Mustang-based SUV, but if it happens, it won’t arrive locally until 2023 at the very earliest… and it won’t be designed to take on the mainstays of the SUV game, which is where the sales volume is.

What will help in that arena, though, will be the 2020 arrival of the all-new Escape SUV, which will be bigger, stiffer and better looking than the current car – and it will also offer a plug-in hybrid powertrain to take the fight right up to the RAV4’s garage door.

The Fiesta small car will return this year, but only in a high-performance version (which, incidentally, is running a bit late) while the future for cars like the dated and spec-limited Endura are still in a watch-and-act state.

And while Ford has launched a potential replacement for the EcoSport in Europe called the Puma, the Fiesta-based compact SUV is an unlikely stater for Australia. Sourcing it from its Romanian factory in the current economic climate would simply make it too expensive.

Do you reckon Ford is right to back itself with a Ranger-heavy future vision? Let us know in the comments below!

A new year provides an opportunity to reflect, and for Australia’s car market in general, the reflection reveals a slow 12 months of sales.

If you’re interested in the market in general, WhichCar has covered that off in a neat summary, but here MOTOR aims to look solely at the key performance models and brands, and pick out and odd findings along the way.

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In a “tough” year according to Tony Weber, chief executive of the FCAI, the new car market copped a 7.8 per cent decrease in sales, but performance cars are often purchased for reasons other than simply as transport or necessity.

It should be noted that sales data never specifies a badge, only a model, so it’s impossible for us to determine the sales of cars such as BMW M3s or AMG C63 Ss, as they’re grouped with 3 Series and C-Class sales figures. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the numbers.

Ford Mustang

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Australia’s most popular sports car took a huge, albeit expected, hit in 2019 after a strong year based on its newest update launching in 2018. ‘Only’ 3948 units were shifted in 2019 compared to 6412 the previous year, a 38.4 per cent decrease. This still puts it literally thousands of sales ahead of others in the ‘Sports under $80K’ category.

Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ

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The Toybaru twins have, unsurprisingly, both followed the same trend with a 42 per cent (BRZ) and 40.6 per cent (86) decline in sales since 2018. The twins sold a total of 967 units in 2019, 568 being Toyota 86s and 399 Subaru BRZs.

Porsche 911

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The Porsche 911, likely helped along by the launch of a new generation, has stayed rather steady and fought to decline in car sales to lose only 1.4 per cent of its 2018 sales figures for the 2019 calendar year. Porsche shifted 504 911s in 2019, though how many of those were 992s and how many were residual 991.2 models is not specified.

Porsche Cayman/Boxster

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The ‘entry level’ sports cars from Stuttgart have copped a decline in sales, with the Cayman down to 156 after 229 units shifted in 2018, while the Boxster sold 89 units in 2019 after 106 the previous year. These are respective drops of 31.9 and 16 per cent.

Porsche Panamera

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Porsche’s four-door has seen the brand’s worst decline, with only 51 sales following 2018’s 105 units. Only four Panameras sold in December.

Mazda MX-5

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Another of the world’s more popular sports cars, the Mazda MX-5’s sales are slowing as the ND generation ages. Only 442 sold in 2019 here in Australia, which lags behind 2018’s figure (835) by 47.1 per cent.

AMG GT

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Mercedes-AMG’s GT range, specifically when it comes to coupes and convertibles, has taken a 9.5 per cent hit with 67 sales in 2019. The good news, for AMG, however is that the AMG GT 4-Door seems to have more than made up for that loss with 68 sales in its debut year.

Alpine A110

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Renault’s pure sports model, as a rival to the Porsche Cayman, hasn’t quite made the same sales as its German opponent. But with 35 sales in 2019, it bested its 2018 sales by three units.

Audi TT

Ferrari

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Unlike much of the list so far, it’s been a good year for Maranello here in Australia. With 257 Ferraris having sold in 2019, a 6.6 per cent increase on 2018, the brand will have made a healthy few dollars, with more eventually on the way once its SUV arrives in a couple of years’ time.

Lamborghini

The Raging Bull racked up a 9.7 per cent increase in 2019 over its 2018 figure, with a huge helping hand from the Urus SUV. That model sold 77 units in its first full year on sale, 7 more than the rest of the Lamborghini range. A total of 147 Lamborghinis sold in 2019, compared with 134 from 2018.

Aston Martin

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Aston shifted 129 coupes and convertibles, down from 161 in 2018, marking a 19.9 per cent decrease year on year. It also saw no sales of the Rapide, meaning its listing under the ‘Upper Large Sedan above $100K’ category posted a 100 per cent decrease in sales after six sold in 2018.

McLaren

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Strangely enough, McLaren’s sales total for 2019 was exactly the same as 2018. 88 cars were sold by the brand both years.

Lotus

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As far as low-volume sports car sales go, Lotus has had a rather good run in the last couple of years. It sold 57 cars in 2019: 15 Elises, 10 Evoras, and 32 Exiges. This is up one in total from 2018, with 56 sales, though the mix that year was 24 Elises, 11 Evoras, and 21 Exiges.

Alfa Romeo 4C

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Yep, Alfa Romeo is still selling enough 4Cs for us to notice, though we’re only pointing it out because it sold more 4Cs in 2019 than in 2018. The baby supercar was snapped up 29 times in 2019, 31.8 per cent up from the 22 units sold the year before.

Honda NSX

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Finally, Honda’s halo car is often the subject of the question ‘is anyone actually buying them?’ It turns out, yes. Three NSXs were sold in Australia in 2019, up 50 per cent from the two sold the year before. Good luck if you’re out to spot one on the street.

Australia’s sluggish economy saw annual vehicle sales drop by almost 8.0 percent in 2019, but it seems not everyone is doing it tough with Rolls Royce, a brand synonymous with ultra wealth, enjoying record sales Down Under.

The iconic British-based luxury carmaker recorded 55 sales last year, which might not sound like a lot compared with Toyota’s 200,000, but it was a new record in Australia, and represented an increase of 37.5 percent over 2018.

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A big reason for the spike in sales was the introduction of the brand’s first SUV, the Cullinan, which represented 19 of those sales in its first full year in the market.

With a starting price of $685,000, the Cullinan is Australia’s most expensive SUV though that hasn’t stopped it biting into the market share of its key rival, the Bentley Bentayga, of which annual sales fell by 27 to 71 in 2019.

The sportier Rollers also sold well, with combined Wraith four-seat coupe and its equivalent Dawn convertible sales up from 22 to 26.

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Interestingly, only a handful of people shelled out from their inheritance to buy the more traditional Ghost and Phantom, with both accounting for 10 sales last year, down from 14.

Rolls Royce’s SUV-led success echoes Lamborghini’s, which also sold more cars here in 2019 thanks to the high-riding Urus. The company’s first SUV managed 77 sales, outstripping the Huracan and Aventador supercars that managed 70 sales between them.

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The Cullinan was also responsible for BMW-owned Rolls Royce enjoying its highest global sales in its 116-year history, with 5152 sold, up 25 percent compared with 2018.

MG’s freshly introduced ZS EV electrified small SUV has claimed the title as Australia’s most affordable battery electric vehicle, muscling out the previous cheapest zero-emissions option, the Hyundai Ioniq.

The Chinese-made ZS EV is priced from $40,990 plus on-road costs ($43,990 drive-away), which undercuts the cheapest electric Ioniq by about $8000 following a price increase for the small sedan of about $4000 late last year.

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Exact details and lead times have not been released for the newest electric vehicle to be offered in Australia, but dealers will likely divulge more information to interested customers. Expect local versions to share much in common with the version that is already on sale in the UK.

That includes a 44.5kWh lithium ion battery offering arrange of about 262km, 105kW and 353Nm of torque. Those relatively mild figures may align with the fairly benign outputs of the other ZS variants, but don’t be fooled. With a 1500kg kerb weight, the ZS EV is relatively light and capable of doing the zero to 100km/h dash in 8.5 seconds.

That makes it almost the fastest model in the MG line-up, closely behind the top-shelf GS which gets to 100km/h in 8.0s.

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With a 50kW charger, an 80 percent charge for the ZS EV is possible in just 40 minutes or, with a more commonplace 7kW socket, a full charge can be pumped in a little under seven hours.

Seventeen-inch, laser-cut alloy wheels are standard fare, as are three driving modes and regenerative braking to boost range.

An 8.0-inch touchscreen carries over from the other variants in the ZS range offering Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity and a rear-view camera. A large panoramic sunroof is available as is leather-look upholstery.

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Front passengers are offered an accommodating 1070mm of legroom and 1043mm of headroom while those in the rear seats have a similarly generous 920mm and 995mm respectively.

The ZS EV is covered by MG’s seven-year warranty that also covers the lithium ion battery. You also get roadside assistance for the same period if you ever forget to charge it.

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There are also decent levels of driver assistance technology including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist recognition, lane-keep assistance and stop-start traffic assistance. Blind spot monitoring and rear-cross traffic alert is available but not yet confirmed as standard.

While not expected to represent a volume variant, the brand’s first EV in Australia will add to an impressive 2019 sales tally during which, MG jumped 177 percent over 12 months and, with a growing range of enticing SUVs and a little hatch, is expected to continue into 2020.

MG has not revealed pricing for the ZS EV once the first 100 have been snapped up. Full details are expected soon.

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A single motorbike rider has been caught speeding an alleged 62 times in Queensland, racking up a tab for nearly $55,000.

A repeat offender, the man in question has now been arrested by police and is being charged with a number of offences on top of his alleged riding antics.

The rider’s arrest has been reported by 9News Queensland, with his litany of alleged offences including travelling at 178km/h on Gympie Road, and 155km/h in the airport link tunnel.

According to 9News, the rider has accumulated $54,148 worth of speeding fines, with the equivalent of 392 demerit points – enough to lose his licence 32 times over.

If the staggering fine tally is spread evenly across all 62 alleged speeding offences, it results in an average of $873 per infringement.

Despite evading police for some time, the 22-year-old rider was arrested on January 2nd after an off-duty police officer recognised the bike’s stolen registration plate.

At the time the man was wearing a backpack that allegedly contained methamphetamine, 13 driver’s licences from Queensland and New South Wales, four Australian passports, a single UK passport, and 13 Medicare cards – going some way to explain why he rode so erratically, and how he avoided police for so long.

It is also alleged he was in possession of a second stolen registration plate for the same type of motorcycle, which would further aid his ability to evade capture. Police allege he returned a positive result when subjected to a Roadside Drug Test during his arrest.

The Stafford Heights man has been charged with 36 offences, and been issued a further 62 traffic infringements.

CES – also known as the Consumer Electronics Show – was once just about the latest smartphones, computers and robotics but it’s transformed into just as much of an automotive space as a motor show.

Technology has become one of the main differentiators between brands, with carmakers rubbing shoulders or even competing in similar spaces as the likes of Amazon, Apple, Google and more.

Keep reading for our CES 2020 news round-up.

CES 2020: our A-Z guide of new cars and tech

BMW i3 Urban Suite

This electric living room on wheels, BMW says, is designed to focus entirely on the passenger, not the driver. So much so that the i3 Urban Suite comes with a massive armchair for a passenger seat, a coffee table and a footrest, with the small EV’s unique door configuration being taken full advantage of. As usual with the i3, the Urban Suite uses recycled materials.

BMW is even offering rides in one to those at the Vegas-based show.

FISKER Ocean

The brand that originally brought you the Karma range-extender (although the brand has changed hands since then) is back with an all-electric SUV called the Ocean. The brand wants to hit Tesla where it hurts, with this five-door crossover having a Model 3-rivalling US$30k price tag after the USA’s federal tax credits.

A solar roof, fully-vegan interior, a 500km range and a 2021 on-sale date are all pinned down. Something called ‘California Mode’ has been teased, too, where the Ocean opens every window (including the solar sunroof, C-pillar windows and the tailgate window.

HYUNDAI Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) and Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV)

Hyundai is dreaming of a faraway future with its flying car concept, the PAV, and a customisable pod-like thing, the PBV. The former is bringing the old idea to life of using airspace to alleviate traffic congestion in cities.

JEEP

4xe hybrids

Jeep is tipped to reveal three plug-in hybrid products at CES 2020, with the Renegade and Compass SUVs set to be joined by the Wrangler 4×4.

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Details are scarce at the moment, but expect a rear axle-mounted electric motor for each model, along with a supplementary battery pack to provide an electric-only range of at least 50km.

The two SUV products will use the electric motor to supplement their FWD layouts, while Jeep says the Wrangler’s electric gubbins will also help its off-road ability.

The Renegade and Compass were previewed at last year’s Geneva show, while the Wrangler is all-new.

RINSPEED MetroSnap

For the third year in a row, Swiss car company Rinspeed is debuting a variation on its ‘Snap’ idea – designed as a way of cut down traffic by deploying a series of vehicles that are affordable because they are modular.

The MetroSnap variant is a vision of the short-distance taxi or even a pop-up shop or mobile parcel delivery station. Rinspeed is serious about this, having filed for patent protection for the skateboard platform underneath.

First featured on our sister publication, Car Magazine UK

Wheels Car of the Year 2020 has a new judging process, and stricter requirements for eligibility. Let’s meet the contenders that made the cut for the toughest motoring award in the country.

Audi A1

Bigger dimensionally than the generation it replaces, the MQB-equipped A1 is verging on A3 size. The exterior is stylish and befitting of the price, while the interior gains the latest VAG Group infotainment. Three trim levels and engines are offered, with the base 30 TFSI and mid-spec 35 TFSI making it to the COTY field. But can the A1s live up to their respective $32,350 and $35,290 price tags?

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Audi Q3

As one of the last models in Audi’s range to undergo a generation change, the Q3 arrives at COTY packed with a new interior, revised mechanicals and tweaked exterior styling. Arriving in the top-spec, for now, 35 TFSI Launch Edition, the Q3 utilises the company’s proven 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder to power the front wheels only. It’s traditionally a top seller for Audi, but how does it compete in this field?

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BMW 3 Series

After winning our premium mid-size sedan comparison, the 3 Series comes to COTY with high expectations. The G20 generation retains rear-wheel drive for the most part, but the would-be M-car, the $99,900 M340i, gains traction to the front wheels via the brand’s xDrive system. The $70,900 330i offers a compelling all-round package, but is it worthy of Wheels’ top gong?

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BMW X5

Since its inception in 1999, the BMW X5 has proven to be a premium SUV with more than a touch of class. Now in its four generation the G05 X5 has strong competition. However, the $117,900 xDrive30d has already fended off the box-fresh Mercedes-Benz GLE in a Wheels comparison test, while the $120,900 xDrive40i joins to bolster the X5’s COTY charge.

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BMW Z4

It’s the sun-loving drop-top version of the Toyota Supra. We have both the $84,900 sDrive20i (sadly, not the manual) and top-spec $124,900 M40i to play with. The latter is, for all intents and purpose, a Supra without a roof. Hence the powerful B58 straight six hides underneath the sculpted bonnet and power goes to the rears via an eight-speed ZF automatic. Which will prove the better package?

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Genesis G70

Launching a luxury off-shoot brand in Australia is hard – just ask Infiniti. Although with the might of Hyundai behind it, Genesis has a very good chance. And the 3.3-litre twin-turbo equipped G70 came close to pipping a BMW 330i in a recent Wheels comparison test. We have both engines on test, with the $63,300 2.0T Sport and the $79,950 Ultimate Sport. Just don’t call them Hyundais…

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Mazda 3

The Mazda 3 has always been a perennial favourite with private buyers. However, the popular Japanese marque has taken the 3 upmarket, cutting the traditional Neo entry level and upping the premium appeal with a sumptuous interior and elegant exterior. Trouble is, prices now start at $24,990. We also have the $27,690 G20 Evolve hatch and the $37,990 G25 Astina sedan to see what’s what.

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Mercedes-Benz EQC

As far as important steps go, this is a big one for Mercedes-Benz. The German marque has plug-in hybrids within its portfolio, but this is the first all-electric offering to wear the venerable Three Pointed Star badge. The single-grade EQC comes fully loaded with kit, so its $137,900 sticker is reasonable. To cover all bases, we have two EQCs with both 20- and 21-inch wheels in the field.

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Nissan Leaf

This is the only second-generation electric car to gain a COTY start. As one of the pioneering EVs in Australia, the $49,990 Nissan Leaf presents as a more refined package the second time around. With more range and more power, the electrified Nissan has come of age with ‘normalised’ styling and a cabin stacked with standard equipment. But with other all-electric options, how does it stack up?

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Peugeot 508

The likeable Pug is a refreshing addition to the mid-size segment. With its lightweight chassis, keen dynamics, premium interior and striking exterior design, the Frenchie brings back some joie de vevre to the brand. The spritely 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo punches above its capacity, too. Can the single-spec $53,990 Fastback and $55,990 Sportswagon wager a Peugeot renaissance?

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Porsche 992 911

Just when you think Porsche can’t best itself, it does. The 992 generation might not be flush with variants yet, but the $264,600 Carrera S could be all the 911 you’ll ever need – keep an eye out for our performance figures. Price has always hamstrung high-end performance cars at COTY, however, a tweaking of the Wheels criteria means 2020 is Porsche’s best chance to date.

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Range Rover Evoque

Style versus substance – it’s a balancing act all luxury marques have to straddle. The Range Rover Evoque is undeniably a good-looking SUV with a luxe cabin to match its design-led exterior. The $67,040 D180 S lays claim to the slowest 0-100km/h time of the field, while the $69,820 P250 S R-Dynamic offers more pep. It’s a high-tech experience that’s now roomier and comfier than ever, but is the Evoque just a pretty face?

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Toyota RAV4

If there is one car that does what it says on the packet, the RAV4 is it. Toyota’s loveable RAV has grown in size over the years, and now with bold new styling and a long list of standard kit, it makes for a compelling package. Three variants make the COTY field – the $30,640 GX 2.0 FWD, $44,640 Cruiser 2.5 Hybrid AWD and $47,140 Edge 2.5 AWD. Is it a pre-event favourite? You bet.

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Toyota Supra

As far as hype goes, the Toyota Supra has the stamp licked. However, the COTY criterion cuts through preconceptions quickly. The well-known joint collab with BMW spawned the Z4 and Supra, with the latter coming in two guises. We chose the higher-spec $94,900 GTS to attend, and with a boosted 250kW/500Nm straight six and rear-wheel drive, it rates on the fun scale. Does it live up to its iconic status?

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Tesla Model 3

The Model S came painstakingly close to claiming overall honours in 2014, while the Model X failed to light a fire with the judges in 2018. The Model 3 is a different kettle of fish. Touted to mesh handling and performance with sufficient real-world range, the $67,900 Standard Plus and $92,900 Performance present as Elon’s best chance yet. Or has the Tesla fanfare lost its charge?

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Volkswagen Touareg

Can the VW transcend its almost premium badge and best the likes of fellow German rivals from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz? The $85,490 Touareg 190TDI Premium would suggest so by name, but its staggering list of optional extras could be its undoing. However, the Touareg is based on the acclaimed MLBevo platform and has plenty of luxurious accoutrements to satisfy all needs.

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Volvo S60/V60

There is a hefty weight atop the shoulders of the Volvo S60 and V60, with the Gothenburg manufacturer staring down the prospect of winning an unprecedented three Wheels Car of the Year gongs on the trot. The XC40 and XC60 won over judges in ’19 and ’18, but can this sedan and wagon pairing, that shares much of the same ingredients as its SUV siblings, do the same? All will be revealed very soon.

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Florida, the state in America where all the weird stuff happens, has finally produced something that’s made us say “yeah, I could deal with that.”

It’s a convertible Dodge Demon, and it’s the first built by Droptop Customs, a company with plenty of experience chopping the roofs off US muscle. They’ve even built a Challenger for Shaq.

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For USD$145,995, which equates directly to AUD$210,550, the “world’s first Dodge Challenger Demon Convertible” (according to Droptop) could be yours.

Spotted by MotorAuthority sitting on the lot at a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram dealership in Cape Coral, Florida, the Demon is build number 2762 of the 3300 built, with its ‘certicard’ listing the owner’s name as ‘Pandora’s Box’, suggesting a Florida-based jewellery company was the initial buyer.

Despite already having had one ‘owner’, the Demon has covered a total of 172 miles (277km) according to the odometer in the dealer’s photo.

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Not only is the convertible Demon in itself a rare (and pretty much new) thing, but it’s also finished in a colour not often seen on Dodge’s top model – Plum Crazy.

That rarity could go some way to explain why its current dealer upped the price from the USD$139,000 originally asked by Droptop Customs.

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Unfortunately, getting the Demon over to Australia would be a rather expensive task, with being able to drive it on our roads not even a guarantee. But if there’s a millionaire out there who has the means… do let us know. Okay? Deal.

The Reader: James Sanderson The Car: Porsche 911 (964) Carrera 2 The Mileage: 170,000km The Ownership period: 12 years

This feature was originally published in MOTOR’s October 2018 issue

Was this car a dream come true? I wanted a 911 since I was about five. My neighbour was a guy called Matthew Coleman, who raced Carrera Cup, and his dad had a 911 SC. The first time I went in it, I was like: “yep, I want one of those”. I bought it because I wanted a car that was a little bit of a challenge to drive – more than modern cars with their driver aids.

It’s modified, yes? It’s in the low 12s, which it’ll run at Heathcote. It has what they call Super Cup camshafts, various internal mods, different exhaust and intake. I accidentally hit first instead of third going over the start finish at Sandown one day and that was the precursor in doing an engine rebuild. I also came first in a CAMS Supersprint series class.

You owned an MX-5 before? I felt like I got everything I could out of the MX-5 and wanted a challenge. My first impression was the MX-5 was a better car. The 964 had quite soft spring rates and moves around a lot on the standard suspension. The second I tied down the suspension it completely transformed the car. It has coilovers and 964 RS adjustable swaybars.

What’s it been like to own? The cost of ownership is amazingly low. They are extremely well engineered and unbelievably reliable. You can thrash it on a racetrack every day and it goes, “yep, cool”. It feels rock solid.

You mentioned it wasn’t always this colour? The car was originally delivered [to Oz] in Mint Green. My understanding is that it was at Porsche Cars Australia and for whatever reason, maybe they had trouble selling it, they fully resprayed the car completely in Horizon Blue.

Would you call it a part of the family? The car’s called Sally, because it’s the same colour as the one in Cars. And every time I took it to a racetrack every kid under 10 was like, “Sally!” But yeah, Sally’s family. My wife and kids would kill me if I ever sold it. It was my wedding car.